The workers helping power Australia’s energy transition

Somewhere in the sprawling labor camp outside a place known as Verandah Town, Australia, Jeremy Mansfield’s alarm is ringing.

It’s 5.30 in the morning.

The temporary digs at Lockhart in the northern Riverina, about 520km southwest of Sydney, are home to him and 200 others who are helping build the country’s largest power transmission project.

He usually works two weeks on and one week off.

Mr Mansfield is head of logistics for the 164km section of the EnergyConnect high voltage tower network completed to connect NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

The trip to see his family is a two and a half hour drive; it’s far but manageable compared to the distances many of his colleagues have to travel home.

While efforts have been made to improve the experience of fly-in workers, such as those living in the camp, Mr Mansfield says it can still come at a cost.

Especially for those who have longer periods of time between leaves.

“The minimum day our men work is 10-and-a-half hours and that comes in rain, hail and shine,” he told AAP.

“It can start to affect people mentally without them even realizing it.”

Mr Mansfield said Elecnor Australia, which was appointed by transmission grid operator Transgrid to carry out construction work, had taken steps to improve the quality of life in the camp.

He was particularly impressed by the on-site gym, where staff proactively approached workers and encouraged them to attend classes.

“I didn’t realize how taking a tour of the gym with a team would allow me to meet different people in different groups,” he admits.

Once completed, EnergyConnect will cover an area of ​​900 kilometers.

It has been billed as a type of infrastructure that will improve grid reliability and security and help support the broader energy transition from coal to renewable energy.

Mr Mansfield’s role in the near-complete megaproject involves ensuring the right materials are in the right place at the right time between Dinawan and Wagga Wagga.

Construction takes place in stages.

First the foundations are laid, then the steel towers.

Finally, the conductive wires are arranged in place.

Mr Mansfield says there are challenges in managing logistics on a massive undertaking involving 50,000 tonnes of steel for the towers.

“It’s within a 100-mile radius. It’s hard to be everywhere at once,” he says.

And like any big project, not everything went smoothly.

The electricity union, which took Transgrid to the Federal Court over alleged prolonged outsourcing without consulting employees, has been hit with cost overruns, delays and criticism.

Mr Mansfield said local communities in his division were generally welcoming and farmers had expressed some understandable concerns, including fears that vehicles could introduce weeds and disease.

This means thoroughly washing equipment before entering some properties.

“You can imagine the size of the machines we got in there, and we had to clean them like they had just rolled off the showroom floor,” he says.

Reflecting on his years on the project, Mr Mansfield says he is proud to have played a small part in building the next generation infrastructure.

“You look up and see these towers and their sheer size and you think, ‘you know, there was nothing here 18 months ago’.”

At ground level, little things like the occasional wildlife sighting can boost employee morale.

Snakes are an unwelcome sight.

“We’ve got quite a few New Zealand people, and frankly there are no snakes in New Zealand,” Mr Mansfield says, suppressing a smile.

“You would think nothing could scare them, but yes, they see a snake and they can run very fast.”

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